Inter Milan held to a scoreless draw at home by Udinese in Serie A

MILAN (AP) Inter Milan struggled at the San Siro again in a 0-0 draw with Udinese in Serie A on Thursday, as the visitors’ 17-year-old goalkeeper Simone Scuffet blocked out the Nerazzurri.

Still, Inter moved one point ahead of Parma in the race for fifth place and the final Europa League spot.

Udinese remained 14th, 11 points above the relegation zone.

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Inter was beaten 2-1 by Atalanta at home on Sunday and has won only seven of 16 matches at the San Siro this season, as the squad seems to still be searching for its identity under new owner Erick Thohir and first-year manager Walter Mazzarri.

Before the Atalanta match, Inter was on a six-match unbeaten run.

The draw was all the more surprising since Udinese left former Italy forward Antonio Di Natale on the bench.

Scuffet denied Inter playmaker Hernanes twice and also stopped a late effort from Esteban Cambiasso. It was a performance that could put him in discussion for the third goalkeeper spot on Italy’s World Cup squad behind Juventus’ Gianluigi Buffon and Paris Saint-Germain’s Salvatore Sirigu.

”He’s doing great. The future is on his side,” Udinese coach Francesco Guidolin said. ”He’s humble and hasn’t lost his head.”

Udinese defender Maurizio Domizzi preserved the draw with an acrobatic clear off the line when Scuffet appeared beaten by a close-range effort from Danilo D’Ambrosio in the 88th minute.

”The squad did everything to win, and (a victory) would have been deserved,” Mazzarri said.